Palaemon
by Kenderlyn
Summary: This is just a little mythological fic. Challenge! Um, I've added a little bit of my draft for comparison. it isn't part of the challenge, it's just for show.
1. Default Chapter

Palaemon.  
  
Not mine. never has been, never will be ;-C  
  
AU, yaoi, (4+3; 2+1) Greek Mythology references, nice Relena. You have been warned! Challenge at the end.  
  
Story switches POV. By the way, Palaemon is no indication on who he is, I read that it is simply the name of an ocean deity. I call the children of Oceanus and Tethys the mer, just easier than saying merboy or whatever.  
  
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Oceanus and Tethys. The true rulers of the deep. They had, during the golden age spoken of in the Greek mythology, 3000 sons, the river gods, and 3000 daughters, the oceanids. Talk about prolific. But even when the golden age of mythology faded, they remained. After all, a god cannot die. Finally, in the year After Colony 180, Tethys had one last child. She looked at the youngest mer, and knew that his life would be hard, if he ever left the waves. He would be changed, become hard, untouchable. Hardening their resolve, Palaemon's parents had the mer locked away, never told of the surface, caging him, making him a prisoner. The young god had finally had enough. He resolved to leave the water. He wanted freedom. He was approached by an unusual figure, offering to help him escape. Despite the fact that he was only five, the mer understood what was being asked of him. (think this is unrealistic? Read about Hermes, he was stealing cattle when he was barely a few hours old!) he agreed to the strangers demands. But when the scientist got the boy to the colony where he would spend his childhood, he ran away. Palaemon soon managed to find a way to survive. His only problem was that after a while, the craving to be immersed in water became too much. Desperately he would seek out some body of water to swim in, until the cravings subsided. The mer received a new name. He met up with the scientist again. He learned to fly a Gundam. He returned to Earth. His fellow pilots never knew his secret.  
  
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I crept into the pilot's latest safehouse, determined to find Heero. I walked through the empty rooms, puzzled. Then I heard it. The sound of a bath being emptied. I walked up the stairs, into the bathroom, before I thought about what I was doing. There was one of the pilots in the bath. I could feel the blush rising on my cheeks. I was about to leave quietly, when he raised his head.  
  
"Relena. What are you- no. I already know why you're here. Just go." He sounded like he was in pain. I moved forward. He pointed a gun at me.  
"Are you all right? You sound hurt, did you just get back from a fight?" War may not be the answer, but I couldn't not care if the boys were hurt. Then I saw it. A tail. He had a mermaid's - merboy's? - tail. One of the Gundam pilots wasn't human.  
  
The water had mostly drained away, revealing a featureless silvery tail. There was nothing, just this smooth but scaly tail. There were so many highlights, of blues and greens. He sighed, lowering his gun tiredly.  
"So now you know something even the other pilots don't know. Congratulations Relena." I looked at him. Then he closed his eyes, as if in pain. "Please, don't tell the others. I don't want them to know. I don't want *him* to know..." I frowned, then whispered to him.  
"I promise I won't tell, unless your life depends on it." He looked at me, almost grateful, but said no more. I slipped out the safehouse, quiet. The whole episode *had* cured me of my obsession with Heero, but I still kept tabs on the pilots. They still had no idea that one of their own was not what he seemed. Until...  
  
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I approached the five boys cautiously. Quatre had spoken up as I drew near.  
"Look, we need a rest guys. I know of a place on the beach, maybe we can get a cabin or something, rest up while we can." None of them looked impressed. Not Heero, not Duo, not Wufei. Even Trowa looked like he wanted to refuse. Yes, I do know about Trowa and Quatre, I know about Heero and Duo too. I'm not that naive you know. I know that the pilots are all gay. Well, except maybe Wufei. I heard Heero give a token complaint about OZ, but Quatre grinned triumphantly. "But how can we fight effectively if we're exhausted?" there was no answer to that. Then I realised why one of the pilots, at least, wouldn't want to go. The beach. The mer wouldn't want his secret revealed to the others. But they would expect him to join in at least some of the water activities. I had spoken to him about his... condition after I walked in on him,, and it was the simple state of being immersed in water that caused him to change. A shower wouldn't do it. But a bath, or the ocean... That day he had been desperate for the feel of water surrounding him. But at the beach, someone would see him.  
  
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"Why don't you take this as an opportunity to tell them? At least then they have a chance to adapt before you have to fight again." She didn't understand.  
"I can't. what if they decide I can't fight?" I could see the incomprehension on her face. I looked at him, the one who called to my waterlogged soul. I sighed. "There's more. What if my father finds me? I'm a runaway, I could be dragged back to Atlantis, and I need to complete this mission. I can't go... but what excuse can I use without being a lie? I can't let him drag me back to Atlantis." Relena sighed softly.  
"Maybe you should just tell them the truth."  
"What? That I'm a monster? That I'm not even human? That I'm..." I trailed off. What was the use? She'd never understand. At least she was still bound by her promise not to tell. I shook my head, then caught up to the other pilots.  
  
I have to say this. Quatre is a genius for finding the best place for a holiday destination. I looked at the other pilots. They were all enjoying sun and surf. I was sitting in my room, reading. I figured I could slake my soul after dark. Always I yearn for the ocean... if only I wasn't so afraid of my father. I don't want to go back to my gilded cage. Stuff him! I want to swim tonight, not just dabble in a bath. A pool is no good. The chlorine burns my scales.  
  
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I woke. I looked at where my love should have been. He was gone. I looked around frightened. Where was he? I felt the blankets. Cooling rapidly. He had been gone a while. I got up, dragging on a pair of shorts. I saw a familiar shape in the water, near the pier. I slipped out of the house, and made my way to him.  
  
I stood on the pier, he was in the water below me, playing with dolphins. I moved to the end, then hesitantly, I called his name. He looked up at me... was he afraid? He looked terrified. Why? I carefully began to move to climb off the pier, but he stopped me.  
"No, wait," he looked around, "on the rocks, I'll meet you there." He swam off. I wondered what was wrong with him. He had hidden in our room all day, and now...  
  
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Damn! I hadn't expected him to wake up so soon. I'd hoped to change back, and get my feet back before he woke. That is the worst side effect in my opinion. For at least an hour after I change, I can't walk. It's like walking on broken glass. Itai. Now I will probably have to tell him. That will be the end of our relationship. He won't want to talk to me again. But I still love him. I always will.  
  
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I wonder what he's up to. As I reach the rock he pointed out, I look into the water. I can see a faint outline of his legs... Wait... not legs. A tail. Is this what he's been hiding from me? What is going on? He looked at my confusion, and sighed.  
"I'll explain, but first, help me sit on the rocks, please." I reach out to him, and taking his hand, I pull him onto the rocks next to me. The sight of that tail takes my breath away. He misinterprets my gasp as rejection. I pull him closer.  
"You said you'd explain." I say softly. There has to be a good reason.  
"How long?"  
"All my life." He looked down. The scales were melting away, revealing soft greyish skin. He was featureless. There was nothing below his waist. Before he could say anything, he saw his lover's body becoming defined under the flesh of the tail. He was in agony, I could tell. I held him like a child.  
"Did the doctor do this to you?"  
"No, I was born this way."  
"How did you hide it?"  
"Colonies don't really have much water, do they." It wasn't a question. He whimpered.  
"Why does it hurt you so much?"  
"Because I'm literally being ripped apart." I could feel pressure building. Then, with an agonised scream, his tail ripped in half. I held him, closing my eyes, just holding onto him, letting him know that I would still love him. My love lay there a moment, and then opened his eyes, and looked up at me.  
"Thank you for being here." Heero opened his eyes, and looked down, a slight smirk on his lips.  
"Hn." Duo smiled back.  
"I bet you say that to all the mer."  
  
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How many people guessed Duo before the end? Was it too obvious? Probably, I like putting Duo in top billing.  
  
**Challenge**  
  
To write a fic about Palaemon. The pairings mentioned in the story are not to be changed. If you do respond to my challenge, then please mention the word Palaemon in the title. Also, remain as true to the Greek Mythology and this story as possible.  
  
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Reviews, please! If no-one responds... umm, I'll have Duo strangle you with his braid!! *grin*  



	2. alternate discovery. draft

This is the original 'discovery scene' for Palaemon. I didn't decide on anonymity or even Relena, until much later. I thought this might be something different.  
  
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Heero returned from his mission early. He returned to the safehouse. Maybe he could sneak in and watch Duo for a while before the other boy knew he was there. He heard water draining above him. /The bath? Duo always showers, he never takes a bath./ He walked through. Figuring that he could always pretend he didn't know what the other was doing. He got to the door, and he heard Duo give a pained moan. Heero froze.  
"Duo, are you alright?" Duo gasped.  
"Heero? What are you doing back already?" Heero moved into the room. Duo swore. "Don't come in Heero!"  
"Duo, don't be stupid, you sound like you're hurt, what's wrong?" Heero stopped stock still, as he got near the bath for two reasons. One, there was a gun pointed right at his crotch. Two, Duo had a tail. He was a merboy. The braided boy lowered the gun tiredly. The scales began melting away with the bath water. "How long Duo? Did G do this to you?"  
"No, I was born like this." He heard Duo gasp. The boys genitals were separating from the featureless tail. "Always hurts, G called it an unfortunate side effect, I'm literally being torn apart from the inside."  
"How did you hide it?"  
"L2 doesn't have enough water to speak of. Made all the difference." Heero watched worried as the tail continued to develop into conjoined legs. Heero touched Duo's hand lightly. The boy gripped his hand tightly, as with a loud tearing sound his tail ripped in half, slowly moulding into Duo's legs and feet. Duo bit back screams and whimpers, this par always hurt the most. That and the fact that even with feet he wouldn't be able to walk properly for about an hour. Damn Heero for coming home early.  
  
  
Uh, see why I went with the other version? This is the rough original draft of how Duo changes. I thought I'd let people see it. Any opinions?  



End file.
